On Thursday night, the Chennai Super Kings will take on the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, marking their return to action. Despite having five victories in seven matches, CSK aims to avenge their earlier loss against the Royals this season.
In their previous match against the Lucknow Super Giants, which was also their first game in Jaipur this year, the Royals won by a narrow margin in a low-scoring affair. Former Indian spinner Murali Kartik has suggested that the team may consider playing Mitchell Santner in the upcoming game.
Kartik added that while Santner could replace Maheesh Theekshana, instead of Matheesha Pathirana, he made an intriguing comment about the latter.
According to Kartik’s statement to Cricbuzz, “If Mitchell Santner is included at all, he could replace Theekshana. Pathirana, who bowls well in the death overs, is a seam bowler who is progressing well under MS Dhoni. Pathirana does what Dhoni wants, and Dhoni handles him like a remote control. Thus, I wouldn’t substitute Pathirana.”
Kartik further commented, “Seam bowling is a weak spot for CSK, and Akash Singh has performed admirably by bowling four consecutive overs in the last game. Since the beginning, I have maintained that Mitchell Santner is a skilled bowler who performs well against any batter in any situation. There is no better batter than Santner among bowlers. He is also a fantastic fielder, with excellent arm movement. So, there is a strong case for his inclusion. However, MS has a distinct perspective on the game.”
Pathirana, who has played three matches this season, has taken four wickets with an economy rate of 7.58. He has shown exceptional performance in the death overs for the Super Kings, and it is probable that he will keep his spot in the team for the upcoming match against the Royals.